From Rich to Poor to Happy
by kidscanfly
Summary: Mila's POV from the beginning of her capture. It's kinda AU, and includes what we didn't see in the Forbidden Fortress.
1. Chapter 1: Nights 1 to 3

**WW AU from Mila's POV.

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Night 1

I had screamed, hit the flying monstrosity with my fan as hard as I could. But it had never relented, instead sweeping up that pug-nosed girl Maggie from the docks. So now I, the richest girl on the Great Sea, and Maggie, the poorest, were trapped in the cell of a faraway island.

"The bird is coming back!" said Maggie a few hours after our capture. We looked up into the sky, only to see the bird drop a blonde child into our cage. Maggie caught her ungracefully, falling on her backside, but saving the girl from any injuries to the head. "Ah! I'm sorry." The tiny girl stepped off the street urchin, and bowed in apology to both of us, which I thought was very proper of her.

"My name is Aryll, from Outset." I blinked at the word Outset. One of the residents had a friend on Outset, right?

"Linda is friends with a woman named Sue-Belle on Outset!" blurted Maggie. Oh. Linda. The woman was a very good tailor; depending on the fabrics we gave her (me and my father that it is).

"Sue-Belle carries pots on her head." stated Aryll excitedly.

"That's awesome!" said Maggie enthusiastically. I kinda wanted to vomit.

"I am Maggie. We're from Windfall Island." Suddenly they both looked at me, and I flushed at the sudden attention. "Mila." I muttered, hoping saying my name would make them leave me at peace.

"That's a pretty name!" said Aryll, "You're wearing such fancy clothing! I bet you have a boyfriend too!"

I blushed madly, having never thought of myself in a relationship. Maggie was suddenly all giddy as well, which was creeping me out…

"Mila! You have a boyfriend?!"

"No! I turn down all the suitors. They only want me for the money anyway." Maggie's face drooped, and Aryll pouted. "That's very adult for you, but you should have more fun! Though, my brother seems to act the same sometimes…"

"A brother?" asked Maggie, a twinkle in her eye. Creepy…

"My big brother, Link! He'll come rescue us for sure!"

I scoffed. What could a boy my age do to rescue us…?

Soon after a Moblin gave us some bread and water, Maggie and Aryll started yammering on about something uninviting, so I excluded myself from the conversation. I couldn't help but feel a bit peeved about it, so I decided to finally fall asleep.

**Night 2**

"So the bird never targeted you directly?" I asked skeptically.

"Nope! It was after some pirate girl! My brother saved her from monsters!"

"Wow, your brother must be pretty brave." Maggie complimented, a dreamy look overtaking her.

"No, he's actually kinda lazy…"

"Oh." Maggie and me said in unison. Her tone was more disappointed, while I sounded more disgusted.

"Your dinners." said the food Moblin. Hs voice was ragged, and sounding inhuman, which was biologically correct. It was Maggie's turn to take the food to our corner, but as we watched, she started talking with him, and laughed. Aryll and me stared at each other, before watching some more. Was that thing smiling…?

She came back. "He's so polite, yet rugged and tough at the same time. Oh, he's perfect."

"Perfect for what? A museum?" I asked with a bit of extra rudeness.

"He may be a monster, but he has some good qualities. I think he said his name is Moe."

"If he's so perfect, go marry him!"

"I plan to."

"I was joking…"

We argued like that while we divided the bread. But suddenly, Aryll was giggling. She wasn't looking at us, but out the window. Maggie looked over head, before I cautiously did as well, only to bring my head back in. There was a horde of seagulls by our window! Aryll giggled at my reaction. "Seagulls are my friends! They must have followed me here from Outset!" I looked t her with doubt. "Aryll, seagulls are common on any island. They aren't necessarily the ones from your island." She giggled again. "If they're not, how come they're near our windows?"

I didn't have an answer.

Her engrossment with a flock of dirty sea birds was making me gaping at her and Maggie as thy appreciated the birds' company. I couldn't understand the fascination.

It must have been a poor people thing, I thought stubbornly.

I looked past the birds to the no rising half moon, and felt despair overtake me as I realized that my father was alone n the mansion, and had been for already two nights. I wondered if he seriously missed me, or the money he would have to spend to get me back.

I nestled in another corner to wallow in my thoughts.

**Night 3**

It was rather boring now. The day had gone by uneventful, with no significant conversations. I was starting to get homesick for Windfall. My father's stern but caring face popped into my mind, and I felt the need to groan. I remembered my life there, and wondered what I would do when I got back. Maybe I'd be nicer to the bountiful amount of little brats, such as Maggie was. Maybe I'd walk around town a little more, talk to more of the shop owners.

I remembered when I was younger, before any of the brats were born, Maggie and I were the only one's going to Ms. Marie's school. Most of the sailors were in their late teens, but and they often hung around the courtyard. After school, Maggie would play with them instead of study, making me the favorite of Ms. Marie. But I only learned to prove I was better than Maggie. It wasn't my fault that the would-be sailors never invited me to play with them and Maggie.

Than later, around a year ago, I ventured outside my home later than usual for a stroll. Usually, I woke up insanely early to walk around the island, when no one was around. Then, I would watch the sun rise into the sky, and then make the short trip home. But that morning had been different.

…_I had to go greet my very first suitor._

_But on the way, I was blocked by a snobby group of boys who called themselves The Killer Bees._

_"Hey!"_

_"Hey!"_

_"Hey!"_

_"Hey!"_

_I glared at the small children in front of me. Their clothes were nicer than Maggie's, so I figured beggars hadn't overtaken the town._

_The boy with the cap seemed to be the leader, so I addressed him as such._

_"I have somewhere to be. Let me pass." The boy scoffed, a habit that I happened to copy from him, and they started circling me. "I'm Ivan, the leader of the Killer Bees. We've never seen you around here, so you must be new. We rule this turf."_

_A rather cute blue-haired boy nodded. "I'm Jan, and this is our turf. We rule the courtyard." The two other boys nodded in unison. "Jin and Jun." they said._

_"So, who are you?" they all asked._

_I rolled my eyes. "I've lived here longer than you've been born. I live n the penthouse up there." I pointed to the stairs leading toward the upstairs door._

_"How come we never see you?" asked Ivan, his eyebrow rising in suspicion._

_"I don't get out much." I muttered darkly._

_The boy seemed to think. I got impatient and stormed through the pack of boys, ignoring their complaints. But as I left the courtyard, children again stopped me, this time two little girls. "What?" I asked impatiently, noticing an equally impatient old man at the docks._

_"So the rumor of the rich man really having a pretty young daughter up for marriage is true," said the small brunette._

_"Now we can add it to the list." the blonde said. They scurried at out of my way afterward._

I had been late. The suitor had left by the time I arrived at the docks. So when I got home, and Father questioned my rudeness, I blamed the brats. He never forced me to venture out of the house again.

I sighed at the memory, and realized that I never really wanted to meet the suitor. He was old, rich, and ugly. And he only wanted to marry me because I myself had money.

I was disrupted from my thoughts by a strange sound. It resembled a cannon being shot, or something like it. Then a loud crack came from near one of the windows. "Someone's aim was off." Maggie whispered. The three of us girls looked at each other, before we hurried to our window. The monsters were in frenzy, going to their posts. We recognized Moe scrambling toward one of the searchlights.

"What's going on out there?" Aryll asked me.

I didn't answer for a while. "Someone's trying to infiltrate this place.

"Why? Is it to rescue us?" asked Maggie uncertainly.

"Who knows." I muttered, looking out the window. But then saw it. A speck of green was making his way toward us. I ignored it, not wanting to get the other two's hoped up.

We sat in silence, listening to the yells of creatures of the night. After about ten minutes, there was a commotion right outside the door. We waited for the t to end, and when it did, the door opened.

"BIG BROTHER!!" yelled Aryll happily as a boy came striding in. He had a green cap over his scruffy blonde hair, exposing his pointed ears. He held a cheap little sword and a wooden shield.

"Aryll-!" he began, but stopped as the giant bird took him by its beak. "BIG BROTHER!!!" the young girl cried in dismay. The flying creature flapped its wings, sending feathers everywhere. And then it was gone. Seconds later, we heard a yell and watched as the Link soared through the sky.

"Link…" Aryll whispered, before crouching in a puddle of her own tears. Maggie went to her side and hugged her as I stood behind them, still looking at the place in the sky where he had just seconds before flown across.

He had come so far…

He had been so close…

'Stupid boy…' I thought in distaste.


	2. Chapter 2: Nights 4 to 6

**Night 4**

I had never imagined I'd be so homesick in my life. Staring at the seagulls for what seemed to be an eternity, I ignored the jubilant laughter of Aryll and Maggie as they talked to Moe, his grunting and snorts of laughter unappealing to my ears. There was no telling what was happening on the outside world, no clues for us at all. No other rescue attempts came, and the loss of hope was etched into our features, though the other girls were better at hiding it.

That afternoon was dull and uninviting as well. I had given up on the birds outside our window, and had resorted to wandering around our cage. It seemed now that Moe was always the one who brought our food, and he would always loiter, starting long, dreadful conversation with the girl of no wealth. Aryll had attempted to talk to me various times, but having nothing to say, I did not answer. I felt somewhat guilty, but I did not want to talk. Maybe it was because I was afraid she'd start bawling on me like she did Maggie, upset over her brother's unclear future. I could not relate with her or comfort her in any way. I'm not that type of person.

And even still, when the moon began to rise over the horizon we could see of the sea, there was nothing. Maggie's corner of our prison held various things that Moe had given her, which she cherished. Odds and ends like an old dish, a lavishing amount of skull necklaces, and what he claimed to be a blanket for her to sleep with, though it looked like a rag that had never been washed. I had advised her not to touch it, much less sleep with it, but she had insisted, wrapping herself in the filthy thing. The little respect I had held for her had diminished significantly. I could not bring myself to look at her, wrapped in ll its ugliness.

Aryll was whom I was most worried about, and I knew that even if I wanted to go comfort her in her sleep as she cried soundlessly, I would be of no help. She needed words of kindness, things I could not give. I had never given comfort through words, but harsh scorn. Even if I attempted, I would screw up horribly, and I did not want to make her feel worse. So at night, I would watch her from my corner, wrapping myself in our tablecloth, which was infinitely cleaner than Maggie's blanket. She'd mutter "grandma", or "Link", and I'd know she was feeling far more homesick than I was.

Somehow during the days, I'd forgotten that she was younger than I, and had never been away from home. She was a mere child, and I could naught but feel extreme sorrow for her. Her loneliness was far greater than mine would ever be.

**Night 5**

I could not bring myself to eat that morning.

I had awoken to Aryll's depressed sobs, and I couldn't bear to sleep again that night. Perhaps I might have dreamed of her tears, or her saddened face. It did not matter, for I did not sleep after that anyway.

"I hope Moe comes early for lunch." sighed Maggie as she stuffed a loaf of bread into her mouth. She chewed mercilessly as I made a face that showed my disgust. Aryll nibbled gaily on her own loaf.

"I think the seagulls are happier today," the smallest girl said brightly, pointing to the window.

"Maybe we can throw some bread for them!" exclaimed Maggie in excitement.

"And where would they land?" I countered, finishing the rest of my bread, "The bread would fall into the water and be soiled."

"Then we'll aim better!" said Maggie, hope glittering in her round, almost bulging eyes. I squinted at her, as if asking if she were serious. But my answer came when Aryll and her both got up and headed for the window, the leftovers of their bread in their hands.

"Come watch, Mila!" Aryll said, already throwing chunks of her breakfast at odd angles. Maggie was doing the same, but their bread was disappearing rather fast. The bread they were throwing was bigger than necessary, and the birds wouldn't even go for it, unable to shove the whole crumb down their throats.

I rolled my eyes in slight frustration, getting up myself, heaving up my long gown. Strolling to the window, I stopped them both from wasting more bread by snatching it out from out of their hands.

"The pieces are too big." I muttered. My small explanation was further demonstrated as I tore off a piece of bread as small as my fingernail, and dropped it at the small ledge underneath our window. We watched as a horde of birds dove for it, recognizing it as food they were able to swallow. A smaller bird was victorious.

I dropped some more, scattering the small crumbs so there was enough for all the birds, while still having some left over. I almost smiled as I watched them flock to the bread in mobs, trying to find a nice chunk for them. It was rather peaceful, and I could hear myself almost exclaim in small delight as each piece disappeared. I would never let the others see this happiness though, whether it was my pride or shame that held me back.

Aryll smiled at me sweetly as I handed back their bread. Maggie was gawking at me as though she didn't recognize me. I almost sneered at the realization that I was almost content at that moment. I felt it was rather pathetic, wanting to feed birds…

…Yet…

As I sat back into my corner again, watching as the two girls practiced my demonstrations, I felt a small hint of a smile crawl itself onto my face, feeling a bit of freedom. I scratched my nose in wonder, hoping that Maggie hadn't spotted my expression.

It went on like that for about twenty minutes, before the doors opened again and Moe came striding in with more bread and water. He had brought more skull necklaces, which were all hanging loosely around his neck.

"Moe!" cried Maggie in glee as she rushed to greet him. He smiled widely, showing his row of perfect, pointed teeth in full.

"Brought mo' necklaces me did!" he grunted in what was supposed to sound like he was rather proud of himself.

"Oh, thank you!" said the pauper girl. She gladly took the necklaces, putting one around her neck. "I love these things!"

They chattered some more, and Aryll and I watched, as Moe seemed to blush an ugly, putrid purple, before rushing out of the room. Aryll giggled as Maggie watched him go in confusion, unsure of what just happened.

"What just happened?"

"I believe you're making another admirer." I pointed out, bringing out my fan to hide my smiling face. No one needed to know I thought the situation mildly amusing.

"REALLY?!" Maggie squealed, running over and pulling us into her tight embrace. Aryll seemed to enjoy this small moment of friendship, but I thought it rather uncomfortable. Unfortunately, neither of them picked up on it.

"I really think I'm going to marry him!"

I coughed over the rim of my fan violently, shaking my head in complete shock. "Why?" I asked incredulously. But Maggie did not seem to hear me. She merely gazed at the doors, as if hoping he would walk right back in, wanting to have another conversation.

The night felt dull after the days events, and I as I saw Aryll eye the window longingly, I closed my eyes, banishing the picture of her crying from my thoughts, before I lied down to tired temptations of sleep.

**Night 6**

Something was terribly off that morning. The ray of sunlight coming from the window seemed less bright, and the sky was cloudy. You could barely see the sun at all. In fact, the sky had turned miserably dark, and thunder could be heard coming at a distance. Moe didn't come today either, making Maggie slightly depressed. It was not until late afternoon when we got our first meal.

But the shocker was that it was not a creature of the night that brought it.

A rather tall man with long black robes, broad shoulders, dark, almost black skin, and a small amount of blazing red hair, did the delivery of our meal. His cruel face was set on us, and I had no idea why, but this man seemed to hover over us dangerously. I could feel the impending doom reign over us as he came to our cell.

"Good afternoon." he said in a treacherous voice. It was sickly sweet, oiled down to suppress the evilness of his natural exterior.

None of us replied though. Unconsciously, I stepped in front of Aryll, shielding her from this being of evil.

"No reply? How very rude." We still did not speak. I don't think any of us could speak…

"I am Ganon, who ordered your kidnapping." I narrowed my eyes in anger. So it was this man's fault we were here.

"Still no reply? It does not matter. I am merely looking for a someone." His eyes seemed to glint as he looked at each of us, though he could not see much of Aryll.

"Which of you is Princess Zelda?"

I blinked in surprise. Maggie turned to me with a befuddled expression, and I shrugged slightly. I looked back to Aryll, who shook her head, as though saying she had no idea who that was.

"Princess who?" asked Maggie.

"Zelda," said Ganon, "Princess of Hyrule."

"What's Hyrule?" asked Aryll, stepping aside a bit to see the man clearly.

"It is a mystical land hidden away by the Gods." Ganon answered maliciously, "Which of you is the princess?"

"None of us are a princess or named Zelda." said Maggie, stepping forward slightly, "It's none of us."

A glimmer of hope escaped through Maggie's visage. Maybe, just maybe, he'd let us go since we weren't who he was looking for.

But the hope vanished when I saw him chuckle. "There aren't many girls of your age, so it has to be one of you."

"But-" Aryll protested, but he interrupted her.

"Do not lie to me." He glanced at me, and I stepped in front of Aryll again. "You resemble her… somewhat." I hated the glint in his eye.

"I am not royalty, and my name is Mila. I. Am. Not. Princess. Zelda." I felt heat rush to my cheeks as he scoffed at my defiance. He turned to leave.

"Aren't you going to release us?" asked Maggie, "None of us are Princess Zelda!"

He chuckled again, but did not answer. He placed the food next to our cell just in arms reach, before chuckling to himself. He then left us alone.

"What was that about?" I asked, reaching for our food. I was starved. Maggie came up behind me, and she grabbed for bread as well. Aryll took her water, slipping it lightly, thought I could see her hands were trembling. She must have been angered or frightened by the man, or even both.

"You know, Mila, you could be Princess Zelda." said Maggie with a chuckle. I wanted to kick her for saying something so careless. If the man was still listening…

"Why do you think that?" I asked, biting into my late lunch.

"Well, you're pretty, blonde, and rich. You dress as extravagantly as a princess, and are as wealthy as a princess. Maybe your real name is Zelda!"

I glared at her, swallowing hard. "I'm not a princess." I felt an intense amount of emotion weave into my heart, and the main one was shame. I had once thought I was a princess, when I was very small. I had been so spoiled that it hadn't crossed my mind that I was anything but a princess. But I had learned quickly that I wasn't, even though my father treated me like one. It was then that I had become cold, harsh, and distant from others.

My ears burned from self-loathing as I recalled what the standard 'princess' would be like: kind, beautiful, smart, and rich. The checklist in my mind could check off the last three items, but I knew I was not a kind individual. I was rude. I was pessimistic. I was far from being a kind, generous, well-mannered person. It was awful to realize, but it was fact. I was not a princess. I was a spoiled brat.

"I'm far from a princess." I muttered, mostly to myself. Maggie gave me a look of concern, but I shrugged it off. I couldn't stand to admit that Maggie might be a better princess than I would ever be. I couldn't even look at Aryll, who was even more of a princess than Maggie or myself. I sauntered to my corner, where I went to the small reflective stone I had found. I could not help but make a scowl when I saw my face. The lack of sunlight had paled my complexion, and my freckles were starting to stand out. My once fine, glossy blonde hair was somewhat messy, and my curls were slightly limp.

I was vain…

I was mean…

I was arrogant…

I could not be Princess Zelda…

I couldn't be a princess at all…


	3. Chapter 3: Nights 7 to 12

**This chapter spans over the Endless Night, the Three Goddess Statues, the Tower of the Gods, and Link's Trip to Hyrule, as well as Link's sailing trip back to the Forbidden Fortress.**

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I wasn't in a very good mood that morning. In fact, one could say I was rather crabby, not that it was necessarily my fault. 

It was Ganon's fault.

I stared at my bread with a feeling of vexation. All day I stared out the window, feeding the birds. I had decided that would be my stress reliever, and it was working.

Somewhat.

The clouds had not cleared since yesterday. It seemed there would be a storm, and a rather violent one at that, and I blinked in surprise as a raindrop fell onto my freckles.

"It's raining," I muttered darkly as I returned to where Aryll and Maggie had been talking with Moe. It seemed he was back on duty. But at my words, he turned a little pale, and started grunting random words into the air.

"What?" asked Maggie. Moe looked away, and I felt that urge to smack him with my fan. But it was troublesome to go to the other side of the cell to fetch it, so I suppressed that train of thought.

"Me not supposed to be sayin' this," he suddenly whispered, mainly to Maggie, "But the Master's jus' cast a curse on the sea."

"A curse?" asked Aryll, leaning her head to the side. The Moblin nodded before speaking again. "Be ready fo' a long, long night…"

He then scuttled away, waving at the pauper girl as he left.

We looked at each other in awkward silence. Then, before I realized it, we were all cramming our heads through the window. The sky was even darker than before! I couldn't believe how fast it turned so bad. The Great Sea was crashing against the Fortress walls, and storm clouds surged toward what was a far away island.

"I hope that storm isn't near Windfall," gasped Maggie as she pointed at it.

"Or Outset." moaned the smallest girl in worry. I shook my head. Those clouds weren't going to gather at some village islands. No. They would be set in a place that is a threat to them.

"Don't worry." I said, removing myself from the windowsill. The two girls looked at me in wonder as I sat down at our table. They took one last look at the sky before joining me.

"I think we should tell a story," said Aryll, a forced smile appearing on her small face. I could see in her eyes that she was nervous. But, feeling sorry for the tiny child, I played along, saying she could be the first to tell a story to us. Maggie nodded in accordance.

"There's this story my Grandmother told me." Aryll began, leaning back slightly, "A long time ago, there was a land that held a scared power that had been given by the Goddesses Din, Nayru, and Farore. Grandmother said that a great evil tried to steal that sacred power, but a Hero that traveled through time came to defeat the evil, using a sword that banished evil. He was garbed in all green."

"Like your brother?" Maggie interrupted.

"Yes. Grandmother says it's a custom for boys his age to start wearing green clothing like the Hero." stated Aryll with a smile. For a minute, I thought she was going to start weeping again, but her smile remained. "Anyway, he banished the evil, but it came back, throwing the world in turmoil. The people hoped the Hero would return, but he didn't, so they asked the Goddesses to help them. Then the land vanished." I realized that the land she was talking about was probably Hyrule, the land of Princess Zelda that Ganon informed us of.

"What happened to all those people then?" I asked, trying to wiggle my way into the conversation again.

"Grandmother says that we are supposed the legacy of those people, but she didn't say anything else." Aryll explained, "She also mentioned there were the three spirits of the world, but she says she doesn't know much about them."

"I know those!" said Maggie excitedly. I had to hush her in order for her to keep quiet. We didn't need guards eavesdropping on our conversation.

"The three great spirits are positioned around the Great Sea," said Maggie, pointing a finger in the air in a matter-a-fact tone, "The most famous is Valoo, the protector of the skies who lives on Dragon Roost. Then there's the Great Deku Tree in the Forest Haven somewhere out on the sea, and Jabun, the water spirit who's whereabouts are unknown."

"So there's a giant fish, dragon, and tree protecting us?" I asked skeptically. I had actually heard these rumors before, from my father's "friends" he invited over sometimes. It had been a terribly boring subject to listen to before, but now I wished I had listened instead of having to rely on Maggie's feedback.

"I heard that too though!" said Aryll, "Jabun lives on Greatfish Isle north of Outset."

The conversation dulled from there, and we waited for night to fully fall. The rain was coming down hard now, and as we waited, huddled in our separate corners, I felt a nagging of some kind engulf my stomach. It felt like hours had passed, but the sky didn't seem to have changed. There still was no moon, and stars did not show themselves. After a few more minutes, or what could have been hours, I wasn't sure anymore, I glanced around and saw Aryll fast asleep. Maggie was staring at the window from her corner.

We exchanged a glance, though it was very slight. I couldn't take the silence anymore.

I stood, wiping dirt from my dress. I was far from tired. I had slept a good, long while, but there was no way light still hadn't broken through the clouds. I strode to the window, patting my fan across my face.

I dropped it.

Where was the sun? Where was the sky? The birds? The light? Everything was the same!

What was happening?

"How eerie is that…?" said Maggie grimly. I knew it was a rhetorical question, so I did not bother to answer. We stood in silence in the window as the storm continued to rage on. After several long hours, yet again I was unsure of how much time really had passed; Maggie broke the silence with a most unexpected question.

"Before we came here, did you ever wish you could escape Windfall?"

I faced her abruptly. "No, of course not!" my reply had been louder than I had anticipated, and the look on the pauper's face was that of slight doubt.

"I did." she replied, "I wanted to leave Windfall and adventure the Great Sea with some strong sailor. That has always been my dream, and I was quite fond of that dream too. For a few minutes into my capture, I was happy it was happening.

"But then I remembered my poor father," she added, "and I knew that I would need to find a way back. My father would most likely die of grief."

I felt a pang of shame at the fact that I knew better than to think my father only wanted money. I'd always told myself that when Father would decline my invitation to play. I knew, though, that that was never true. My father was busy. He had work. He did care.

Maggie's father was pretty much the same, only he was poor and unemployed. I really wanted to make this comparison between her, and me but my pride would not let up.

"I wish my situation was the same way." I lied through gritted teeth, "My father only cares for our money." Maggie stared at me through the corner of her eye, and I didn't know whether she bought that stupid lie. Frankly, I didn't want to know. It was a lie. A stupid lie.

I concluded I was still a bad person.

I was a liar.

**Night 10**

"How long has it been since we arrived here?" asked Aryll with a yawn. It was another day of doing nothing. It was almost becoming unbearable…

"A week or so." Maggie said solemnly. Three days had passed since the storm clouds cleared. Just last night, three lights showed themselves on the horizon. Red, green, and blue cast a shimmering aurora into the sky. I had spotted it while feeding the seagulls, and had called over Aryll and Maggie. We had stared at the lights for a minute or so before something shot out of the water.

"Where did that thing come from?" asked the youngest girl, trying to get a better view. I shrugged, before hoisting her up so she could see. She was surprisingly heavy.

"It kinda looks like a tower!" noted Maggie with enthusiasm. I squinted, still trying to hold Aryll, and confirmed the redhead's guess.

Lunch had arrived, we ate, and then we heard a particular sound. I held up a hand, a gesture that made the other girls stop chewing to listen, and I glanced at the window, where a clear view of the tower was.

"Bells…" muttered Aryll, listening to the chimes.

"I've never known of a bell tower in the Great Sea." Maggie whispered to me, catching my eye. I stood, and walked to the window. Maggie and Aryll followed almost instinctively. It was becoming a custom to gather at the window, what with all the strange things happening to the Great Sea. I gasped as I saw a golden light seem to spread across the sea. The moon was not creating this reflection. It was too golden, to pure, to _good_ to be cause by an anomaly in the sky. No, was this the power of the Gods? What in the world was happening? We stared at the sight in silence, before the clink of a door made us turn around in alarm.

"Well, ladies, I see you've witnessed the power of the Gods," said the terror before them. Of course, it was Ganon again. How _sweet_ of him to come and say hi…

"What power of the Gods?" Aryll asked as she inched behind me.

"The golden light will open a path to Hyrule." My eyes widened a bit at this news. Maybe his plan was to go to Hyrule and see if the Princess was there instead. "Right now, the new Hero is going to make a terrible mistake, and I am going to become a very powerful man." Or maybe it wasn't. He chuckled, but then stopped himself. "Correction: I will become and even more powerful man than I already am."

"Freak," I heard Maggie mutter under her breath as he laughed evilly. I almost smirked.

"I am sorry, but, again, you have made a mistake. None of us are this princess you're looking for." Maggie said when he was done. He raised his left eyebrow in doubt. He stood still for a moment.

"EEEEK!!"

He had moved so fast I couldn't have reacted in time. He pulled the poor girl up by her dress of rags, before saying in a deathly tone, "I wouldn't be giving me lip if I were you, girl. I've just received all my power again." He threw Maggie like a doll, and I had to catch her from hitting her head on the floor. She was definitely still conscious, but more than a little shaken. She was actually trembling in fear.

I grit my teeth in frustration, knowing even if I did anything, I'd end up the same way. This rage… it boiled in me. Why was I suddenly so defensive of the girl who had all the friends and all the dirt? She had no money! She was not beautiful! She was not my friend!

… Wait, what?

"How dare you…" slipped from my lips as I helped Maggie gain back her ability to stand on her own, "How dare you hurt someone who has done nothing wrong to you personally!!"

Ganon smirked, but I remained calm. I was far enough from the bars to keep away from his hands. Now that I thought about it, Aryll needed to be the same distance. I unconsciously pulled her behind me completely. We all stood in silence for what seemed like an eternity, before Ganon turned on his heel.

He said darkly, no fun in his voice, "I now know you are not Zelda. None of you are Zelda."

"Then why keep us here?" asked Maggie through a split lip.

He eyed us dangerously, before snickering. "I need hostages to lure the new Hero here. He won't come if no lives are at stake. Then I can kill him."

I felt my eye twitch as he laughed his way out the door.

When he was gone, I sank to the floor, breathing heavily from not breathing at all. That night, we decided, for one night, we would sleep together under the window. Aryll was in the middle, while Maggie was on the end. I was under the window. I could see the moon and stars. They were actually quite funny looking tonight. A few seemed to be winking at me. But I had registered it into my brain that it was my eyes playing tricks on me, so I closed my lids and waited for sleep to take me.

But when I realized I could here Maggie's snoring and the soft whistles made from Aryll's nose, I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep any time soon.

Something was different with me. It wasn't good, but it wasn't necessarily bad either. I felt Aryll nudge closer to me, for we had no blanket (I refused to sleep under Maggie's), so I let her curl into a ball. Slowly, and very unsure, I awkwardly wrapped my arms around her in, what I hoped, was a sisterly thing to do. She was not crying tonight. No, she was peaceful. Her breathing was light on my neck, and I discovered warmth in my heart I had not felt before.

For a moment I was slightly alarmed, but then I noticed it was not like fire, but like…

Actually, I had no way to describe this.

Since I had never known my mother, I had never received motherly comfort of any kind, for no dad could make up for what only a mother could give. Was this what it felt like to be caring? Was this friendship? Or was it sisterhood? I recalled the defensiveness I put out on behalf of Maggie. Was she my friend? I knew she would do me no harm, but had I really already put aside my loathing of her so readily.

I shook my head in disdain, and shut my eyes tightly, willing my mind to go blank.

This time, sleep complied…

**Night 12**

"Please forgive me!" yelled Moe as he pleaded with Maggie to forgive him for letting her get hurt. I almost barfed if not for the fact that I was trying to become a better person.

"It's not your fault Moe!" cried Maggie dramatically, holding his pig hands.

"Okay, now I'm gonna barf…" I muttered, mainly to myself, but a small giggle escaped from Aryll, and we chuckled together, her more than I.

The past two days had been wind down days, and boredom seemed to be eating at my insides. After Moe had served us our dinner, he had disintegrated into a heap of sobbing pork because of guilt.

Now, Maggie had been trying to get him to stop for well over ten minutes. Now it was just pitiful instead of pitiable.

"What can I do to make it up to ya?" asked the Moblin. I jerked my head in their direction. Aryll had apparently taken interest at this point as well. This sort of… giddy look of tempting options came over Maggie's face, and I was dangerously close to asking if she were possessed.

"Go out with me!" she screeched, grabbing his face to make sure he heard her right, which I'm sure he thought he hadn't.

"Um… 'kay?"

"Yes!" she did a little jig, before giving me the thumbs up. I didn't give it back, but I sure as hell sneered congratulations through bouts of laughter wanting to burst out from my vocal chords. Aryll nodded in agreement, a little more pleasantly than I did, before she smiled wide.

"I'll 'ave to take ya tonight though."

"EVEN BETTER!"

The Moblin took out a single key. I jumped when I saw it, and stalked to the door where Maggie was waiting.

"You had the key the whole time?" I questioned. He shrugged. "But I can only take Maggie. I'll be eliminated if I let you go free. I'm going to have to bring her back."

I sighed, hoping scuttling away from me again. I understood his predicament though. It was survival. He was a good monster of darkness shaped like a pig. He would let us out if he could without death as a consequence.

Aryll and I waved goodbye as both skipped away. I had a feeling that even by doing this, he was still risking his life for her.

"How very noble…"

"What, Mila?" asked Aryll, large eyes looking up at me.

"Oh, uh, nothing."

We called it a night soon after. What was there to do anyhow? I slept in my corner as usual, but a little after midnight, I felt a trembling hand meet my shoulder, obviously wanting me to wake. I opened my eyes a crack, but then shot them open wide when I saw Aryll crying next to me.

"Aryll, what's-"

She embraced me so tightly that I though I felt my lungs rise into my throat. Releasing her hold as gently as I thought I possibly could, I seized her shoulders tenderly, before asking what was wrong.

"M-My b-b-brother…" she started, before she collapsed into a weeping puddle of tears onto my lap. I instinctively placed my hand on her forehead, and realized she had a small fever.

"Did you have a nightmare about your brother?" I asked as my eyes narrowed to see in the darkness of our cell.

"T-THEY'RE NOT NIGHTMARES!" she screeched into the night as a new wave of salt water erupted from her tear glands, "T-They're r-r-real. I s-saw my b-brother sailing h-h-here on a talking b-boat, and that h-he was the h-h-hero…"

"I… I'm pretty sure that was a dream." I tried to assure her. Glancing around desperately, I realized Maggie had not yet return with Moe. I was officially winging it here.

"B-But it was so real…" she squeaked into my bosom, which was now partially soaked with tears. But at the moment, I was not worried about my dress, nor was I worried of someone barging in here because of the noise she had made. I wrapped my arms unsteadily around her, hoping it would calm her down. It worked, but she would doze off soon.

"How about…" I whispered, taking in a deep breath. Again, I was winging it. "How about… I let you sleep with me this one night. Just the two of us. Would… would that help?" I had no idea why I had suggested something so intimate to satiate her need of comfort, but it was all I could think of at the moment. I felt guilty though. This was something the motherly figure should perform for a discomforted child.

I was no mother figure.

I lied down, as did she next to me, before she snuggled against me, tears now dripping silently from her eyes. Then she started speaking to me, as though I were a therapist, about how worried she was about her brother. She told me his wierd habits of sleeping outside, and of being so protective. Then, to my mild surprise, she told me of how the pirate girl Ganon had been talking about had visited Outset hours before her kidnapping. She explained that the bird was actually going after the pirate, but had mistaken the poor child for the scum of the sea. She then muttered, more sadly, that when the bird got her, Link had practically jumped off a cliff to try and save her. She fell asleep soon after, and I felt this waking feeling of… care… building inside of me. But I swallowed hard, shoving it down. I was strong and independent. This was merely a task I needed to accomplish to prove that.

That pirate should have been the one with us. Not Aryll. But then again, one of them had to be Princess Zelda, if you were to believe the evil that Ganon was. I sighed, unable to wrap my mind around the news.

If Link was the new Hero, Aryll might become an only child soon. I grimanced at the thought. It also meant that Link had just made Ganon stronger unintentionally. I felt my brain throb from thinking too hard, so I closed my eyes, hoping for sleep to wash away my thoughts.


End file.
